On Style
“Style” in the Fashion world is shorthand for “Personal Style” or “the way an individual expresses themselves through aesthetic choices. Clothing, accessories, hairstyle and the way they put an outfit together.” htpp://www.masterclass.com
The key difference between Style and Fashion is that Style relates to the individual whereas Fashion is more collective. Style is a means of self-expression and global trends are the business of Fashion. Style is timeless, while Fashion changes. A stylish person may or not be trendy, but they always stay true to their own aesthetic.
cozibearboutique.com identifies ten style personalities. Colour me Beautiful pares it down to six:
The Creative
· You have a unique look.
· You dislike a co-ordinated, packaged image.
· You are creative with your jewellery, hair and creating outfits.
The Dramatic
· You buy clothes that you know will turn heads.
· You are drawn to the latest fashions.
· You like bold, contrasting colours and bold jewellery.
The Romantic
· You love looking and feeling feminine; wearing dresses and keeping longer hair styles.
· You love luxurious fabrics.
· You are a spectator rather than a participant in sports.
The Classic
· You are most comfortable in timeless established styles and has a co-ordinated wardrobe.
· You plan your shopping trips.
· You prefer the same hairstyle for years.
The Natural
· You are not one for fuss and comfort is your priority when clothes-shopping.
· You feel more comfortable in a dressed-down look.
· You prefer a simple, casual look with minimal accessories.
The City Chic
· You favour a look that centres on established trends rather than fleeting fashion and like to update your accessories.
· You like a co-ordinated look with tone-on-tone colours.
· You feel comfortable in both formal and informal clothes.
No Style-personality is an absolute and you may even combine two of them, but these guidelines can help to describe your style.
Justine Leconte, Fashion Designer and You-Tuber, gives the following advice to pin down your personal style:
1. Know your body type: Triangle (Pear) hips widest measurement, Inverted triangle (Wider shoulders, narrow hips), Column (Straight, no curves), Apple (Widest measurement around tummy area.) and Hourglass (The same bust and hip measurement, narrow waist.)
2. Find your ”uniform”. What do you wear for your everyday life and to work. Steve Jobs and many fashion designers, for example, prefer to dress in black every day. It should be something that work for you and could be dressed up or down.
3. Find someone, a celebrity will have more pictures available, who has your body shape and whose style you like. Search for pictures in magazines of that person for inspiration. Which three words describe that person’s style? You can keep those three words in mind when you go shopping for clothes. Pinterest can also be a source of inspiration for you.
4. Choose a colour palette. Start with neutrals (Black, Navy, Stone etc.) and add five colours to start with.
5. Shape and Fit. The question to ask is “Will this blouse/skirt/pants/dress, jacket fit my body?” Different types of clothes will flatter a curvy and a straight body type.
6. Accessories and shoes are needed to dress your uniform up or down. Your style personality will determine if you prefer one bold piece of jewellery, or a few dainty pieces. You can have fun with shoes, or keep them neutral.
The power of a confident woman
Knowing your style-personality and body-type, can help you find what works for you, edit your closet, and know what to look for when clothes-shopping. This knowledge enables you to look well put together and expresses who you are without saying a word. Now you can forget about your clothes and get on with your day because you feel great and exudes confidence.
Returning to the question above, “Can you describe your style in three words?” should be easy after the above exercises. Whenever you think you have nothing to wear or go clothes-shopping, go back to your three-word style- mantra. Those words should describe your final style picture.
